Questioning Choices
by Mystic Medjai
Summary: A fun family trip to the beach turns ugly when Michelangelo is injured and his brothers have to make difficult decisions that go against their morals in order to save him.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I do not own TMNT, therefore I borrow!

Hello everybody! I'm back with a new story and with good news. I've pretty much already finished the entire thing, meaning I have three other full chapters already written and edited and ready to be uploaded. So what does this mean for you all? Well, it means that I may just end up updating this story everyday until it is done...which would be Friday if I'm remembering the correct number of chapters. What do you guys think about that? Let me know your thoughts on that and the story...it's a little different than what I've written before. I think. Anywho!

As always, please enjoy!

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><p>"Whoo hoooo!" A pool noodle tucked under one arm and a scuba mask with matching snorkel tucked under the other, Mikey made a beeline for the Atlantic. "Wait for me Uncle Vince! Michelangelo will find thee!"<p>

Leo regarded the retreating form of his youngest brother with a befuddled expression as he helped Don unload the grill from the Battle Shell.

"Dare I ask who 'Uncle Vince' is?"

"Evidently he is a long lost relative of ours," Donny supplied as they toted the grill across the sand. "Of the sea turtle variety."

"Oh." A thoughtful pause. "Are there even any around here?"

Don shrugged once their hands were free. "There are a few species known to reside in the area. The green sea turtle and the loggerhead for instance, but I'm skeptical Mikey will see either."

"Does Mikey know that?"

"Doubtful."

"You didn't tell him," Leo turned a disappointed look on his brother. Though there was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes that sort of ruined the effect.

Don grinned mischievously. "Nope."

"Oi! Knucklehead!" Raph called, standing just shy of the water. "There's still stuff t'do! Get your butt over here an' help!"

"Can't!" Mikey called back. "I'm on a mission to find Uncle Vince!"

"Who?"

"A long lost relative," Leo supplied. "He's a sea turtle."

"I think the name comes from Vincent van Gogh," Donny offered. "The famous Dutch artist?" He added when Raph directed a blank look his direction.

"I know who he is!" Raph snapped. "Mike don't _really _think we got a sea turtle for an uncle, do he?"

All three brothers turned to watch the youngest swim, his head down in the water, snorkel helping him breathe, noodle helping him float.

Don was the first to break the attentive silence. "I...don't...think so?"

"Leave Mikey to his quest," April said, coming up to the guys with a watermelon in her arms. "He unloaded all the beach chairs and towel bags. Granted he dumped them into a huge messy pile, but he still unlaoded them. Think you could cut the watermelon Leo? Thanks!" She chirped, depositing the melon into his arms before he could respond.

Leo swayed under the unexpected weight, but was quick to recover. "Sure thing, April."

"Lunch is in an hour, Mikey!" April called, a hand cupped around her mouth.

"What'd you say!" Mike yelled back after lifting his head from the water.

"Oh sure," Raph's arm swept out in an annoyed gesture as he glared in Mikey's general direction. "_Now _he answers."

"Lunch! One hour!" April called, the corners of her lips tugging upwards at Raph's coment.

"Kay, thanks!" And then he returned to his search.

"Oh and Donny? Casey is messing around with the propane tank for the grill," she added.

"Gah! I'm on it!"

It was a total change of a scenery and a very welcomed one at that. While the Farmhouse had become a beloved vacation spot, and the occasional training location, there was something enticing about a trip to the beach. Mikey had been the one bring it up, Donny the one to make it happen.

He'd poured over maps of Long Island shorelines, done research, and had made countless excursions, searching for the perfect place. Appropriately enough Mikey had been with him when he'd stumbled across it.

"Dude," Mikey had said with awe in his voice. "Is this the perfect spot or is this the perfect spot?"

"Not yet," Don stated, looking around. "But it has the potential to be."

It was a little section of beach isolated away from any larger, public ones. Flanked on two side by thick vegetation and the other by cliff-like rocks, it was a bit difficult to get to. There would be no need to worry about civilians stumbling in on them accidentally. Not unless they did _a lot _of walking through unforgiving foliage or fancied a tumble down the rocks.

The water was cool, calm, and sheltered by a long distance of rock that flanked them on the right. About the length of a football field if Don's estimate was accurate, and they usually were.

The sand was soft and fine, though littered with pieces of trash and driftwood. A little elbow grease here and there and the little stretch of beach could become their own little ocean retreat.

So with a bit of time and as lot of effort that's just what it became, leaving only one issue: transportation.

It was one thing to hike through the trees on foot with no towels or coolers to carry, but transferring all of that to the beach for a true day of true fun in the sun? That there was the challenge, but Don was of the conquering challenges variety.

The solution came in the form of the new and improved Battle Shell, with its new flying feature courtesy of its future counterpart, the Hover Shell.

The thick foliage was less of a factor when their armored truck could fly easily over the tree tops, plus it only took one trip to transport all the necessities. Grill, food, drinks, towels, chairs, and family of course.

"I forget how focused Mikey can be at times," Leo said as he leaned back on his hands, digging his fingers into the sand and watched as his sibling searched eagerly for a sign of Uncle Vince.

Splinter took a sip of his iced tea, briefly closing his eyes to savor the taste, and then set the glass aside. "Michelangelo often follows his heart rather than his mind. When the two happen to agree with one another, the results are always rather impressive."

"Too bad it's usually for somethin' stupid." Raph complained.

"Like burying you in the sand for instance?" Don said, patching a crack that had formed in the sand mound covering Raph from his shoulders to his toes. In the two hours that they'd managed to tempt Mikey out of the water, for lunch of course, Mikey had pestered.

And pestered.

And pestered.

Raph had still said no, but then he'd been ganged up on, pinned to the ground by Leo and Don while Mikey, April, and Casey had worked quickly in dumping the sand over his body.

Master Splinter had watched, amused and noted that Raphael hadn't struggled half has hard as he could have.

"Like burryin' me in the sand." Raph agreed. "Would've gotten up by now, but it ain't half bad. And the sunglasses are nice. Thanks April."

"You're welcome."

"Aw, babe," Casey sighed, "I been lookin' for those."

"Well y'found them." Raph smirked. Had his hands been free, he'd probably have lowered the glasses to peer smugly over the rims. "They look better on my anyways."

"Says who?" The man challenged.

"Anyone with eyes," Raph countered.

"Keep talkin' and I'll burry your head next!"

"Try it and I'll break your fingers." Raph snapped back.

"If either of you so much as move an inch toward one another, you'll be dealing with me," April threatened, her voice the perfect picture of calm while she reapplied sunscreen to her arms.

Both of them seriously considered this before lapsing into a calm silence.

Leonardo nearly smiled at this, because he couldn't really blame them for the choice they'd made. There were a very select few he preferred not to deal with when angry. Splinter was one and April another.

It was a tossup for an angry Donatello and as for an angry Michelangelo...? Well, to be honest it had never come up, but he couldn't help but think seeing a seriously angered Mikey was something he'd find just a tad bit unsettling. Unnatural even. He hardly ever stopped smiling.

In the background he heard Mikey shriek, the familiar, and always amusing, sound was quickly followed by frantic splashing. Leo glanced back curiously over his shoulder. Out of his peripheral vision he saw Master Splinter stiffen and he knew immediately, that something wasn't right.

He was on his feet in an instant, hardly noticing that he'd kicked sand into Raphael's face as he moved. Hand shielding his eyes from the rays of the sun he called out to his youngest brother. "Mikey! Mikey, is everything okay?"

"What?" Raph said sarcastically, "did a fish swim by and startle him?"

"Raph..." Don said quietly with an edge of warning. He'd pushed himself up onto his knees and he too was peering across the water to where Mikey was.

"Something's wrong," Leo said under his breath and then he was running.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I do not own TMNT, therefore I borrow!

To my phenomenal reviewers! You guys humble me with your words and encouraged me to post chapter two so soon, so thank each other for that XD

As always, please enjoy!

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><p>It was hypnotizing the way the sunlight seemed to dance through the water, the two forces of nature locked together in some sort of unusual waltz that he just couldn't seem to take his eyes off of, which was a little annoying because the search for Uncle Vince was still on.<p>

His brothers probably thought he was crazy, but that was half of the fun! He just wouldn't be Mikey if he didn't have them questioning the existence of his mind at _least _once a day.

Lifting his head from the water, he pushed the scuba mask up on top of his head and swatted at the snorkel as the mouth piece attempted to poke him in the eye. He turned his attention to the beach to make sure he wasn't drifting off too far and to check if Raphael was still buried beneath the sand.

He grinned. So much protest and there he was lounging about like it had been _his _idea all along.

"Typical."

He gave his legs a few strong kicks to turn himself around to go back the other direction. An intense pain shot up his leg and he shrieked purely from the unexpectedness of it and then he was kicking for an entirely different reason.

In the distance he vaguely heard Leo calling out to him, but he was too busy trying to get _away _from the pain to actually answer. It was burning, sharp, stinging... and he just wanted it to _stop_.

In the midst of his floundering he realized what was causing the pain. His leg had become entangled in the tentacles of jellyfish.

"Shell!" Jerking the snorkel from his mask, he used it to poke and prod at the jellyfish for untangling purposes.

He considered abandoning his noodle in favor of swimming back to shore faster, but with his leg hurting the way it did, he wasn't so sure leaving behind the one thing that insured his remaining afloat was the wisest of decisions. Then all of a sudden, he didn't have to worry about it.

"Mikey!" Leo's arm strokes where sharp and precise, cutting easily through the surface of the water as he approached.

"Leo!" Mikey gasped, relieved to have his big brother nearby.

"What's wrong?" He demanded, wrapping a hand around the end of Mikey's pool toy and pulling him the last couple of feet that separated them.

Mikey cringed, the pain in his leg throbbing. And man did it _burn. _Mikey shook his head as if to clear it. "Jellyfish," was all he managed to say.

"Can you swim?" Leo asked, already wrapping an arm around Mikey's shoulders to assist him regardless of the answer.

"Since I was four." Mikey answered anyway, even managing a smile, strained as it was.

Leo didn't seem to think it was funny if his frown was anything to go off of as he began to propel them back to shore. Mikey assisted where he could, kicking with his good leg in time with Leo's so as not to hinder their progress.

Donatello met them part of the way. He was waist deep in the water when they reached him.

Hooking his arm under Mikey's free one, he addressed his little brother as they practically towed him toward the beach. "What's the matter?"

"He was stung by a jellyfish," Leo answered before Mikey could.

"Where? And how severely?"

"Right leg," Mikey hissed through clenched teeth, the pain intensifying as the air brushed across his skin. "And depends on what the definition of _your_ severe is bro, because this be mine." He gestured to his leg where an angry rash was starting to appear.

Don signaled for Leo to lower their brother to the ground despite the fact that they were still standing ankle deep in the water.

"April!" Donny called. The rest of their group had rushed over once they realized something was wrong. All of them wore matching expressions of confusion and concern. "My duffle, in the Battle Shell."

"On it." Spinning on her heel she took off.

"Michelangelo, my son" Splinter came up behind his son, resting comforting hands on his shoulders, "what has happened?"

"I guess you could say I got a little tied up," he rasped, leaning gratefully backward against his father's chest.

"Raph, Casey, I need you two to keep rinsing his leg with salt water until I tell you to stop. It will prevent the nematocysts from releasing more toxins. _Don't_ touch his skin though."

"What trouble didja get into _this _time, Mikey?" Raph demanded, kneeling to do as Donny asked. His skin was dusted in a light layer of pale sand from the mound he'd shot up out of. He'd moved so quickly it was like he'd been under a towel rather than several pounds of damp sand.

"Hey," Mikey breathed. "This time the trouble found _me_. I was minding my own business."

"You don't know _how _to mind your own business," Raph countered as he and Casey continuously rinsed his limb with seawater.

Donatello knelt next to Mikey and gave his leg as thorough as an examination as he could without physically touching it, then he pivoted so he could look his little brother in the eyes. "How are you feeling. Besides the pain," he added when he received a dirty look.

"Crappy. Very crappy."

Leaning forward, Don pressed the back of his hand to Mikey's forehead. "Your temperature seems okay. Are you feeling nauseous or dizzy at all? Any trouble breathing?"

"Does it count if it's cuz I'm breathing through the pain?" Mikey hissed when a particularly intense throbbing of pain shot up his leg.

"Not exactly what I'm looking for..." Donny said wryly with a grin to match.

"Here, Don," April said, pushing his duffle into his waiting arms. "You okay, Mikey?" She asked worriedly, placing a comforting hand on his arm as his shoulders were still claimed by Splinter.

"Eh, I've been better," he answered, gracing her with one of his smiles for her sake, though it looked a little forced.

Donatello cursed under his breath as he struggled to balance his bag with one hand and rummage with the other, and then the bag was no longer in his possession.

"Let me," Leo said grimly, holding it open for him.

"Thanks," Donny murmured before diving in. He extracted a bottle of Benadryl, which he promptly passed to April soon followed by a bottle of water. "In case he has an allergic reaction," he explained quietly as she accepted them.

"But that won't sto..." she trailed off after noting the heavy look in his eyes. "Two?"

Don nodded before returning to digging through the bag again. He soon pulled out a can of shaving cream. "Raph," he barked, tossing it to him.

Raphael caught it deftly in one hand. "What's this for?"

"To shave off the remaining nematocysts and tentacle pieces after I remove the bulk of them with these," Don said, holding up a pair of tweezers.

"Someone came prepared," Raph muttered.

"Always."

"You thought this would happen?" asked Raph.

"I knew it was a possibility. Excuse me, Casey," Donny said, moving to kneel where Casey had been.

"Sure thing," Casey stood and ignored the way his knees seemed to protest after having been sitting on them for so long.

"You mean I'm gonna have to shave my legs?" Mikey protested as Don went to work, propping Mikey's foot on his knee so as not to touch his skin as he did so. "But I just shaved them yesterday!"

Leo shook his head at the joke, smiling slightly despite his concern. If Mikey was cracking jokes then it couldn't be _that _bad. And then he noticed that Don wasn't looking amused. Mikey had noticed too if the frown that settled across his brow was anything to go off of, but then he started looking a little sick...

"Mikey?" Leo said the same moment Splinter said, "Michelangelo?"

Shaking his head, Mikey pivoted, twisting his hips so his upper body was supported by his arms and then he threw up.

"Mikey!" Raph reached for the trailing ends of the orange mask to pull them out of the way the same time he turned his legs away to keep them clean.

"Sorry," Mikey groaned, wiping his mouth with the back of his wrist.

Mask tails still in hand, Raph rested his cooler, fisted fingers comfortingly on the back of Mikey's neck. "S'fine."

"I'm done," Donny announced as he gestured for Raph to take his place. "You'll have to use your sai."

"No problem."

As Don stood he shot a meaningful look in Leo's direction, who then nodded that he understood. Before they'd moved even a step away, Splinter reached out and caught his son's wrist.

"Donatello?" There was so much more to the question than just his name.

"Don't worry Master Splinter, it's under control."

Nodding, though looking doubtful, Splinter let Donatello go in favor of turning his attention to his youngest. Michelangelo tucked his head against the crook of his neck much in the way he had when they were all little.

"This is bad," Leo said quietly even though they were out of ear shot. He didn't want the rest of the family worrying. "Isn't it."

Don hesitated before answering. "It's not good, no. He's demonstrating the early signs of an allergic reaction, though there is a possibility that his symptoms could just be a result of the large amount of venom introduced to his bloodstream. Either way, I don't have what I need to _treat _him and time is sort of, of the essence."

Leonardo swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. He searched his mind for a plan, any plan, but medicine and science were things that were a bit beyond his understanding, hard as it was to admit even to himself. Decisions regarding either of those fields were better left in Donny's capable hands. Leo would just be sure that whatever plan he came up with would go off without a hitch.

Eyes flashing with hard determination, Leo turned them toward his brother. "So what are our options?"

"You won't like it..." Donny whispered.

"Does it matter?"

Donatello took a deep breath before answering. "We're going to have to steal an ambulance."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **I do not own TMNT, therefore I borrow.

Wow...just wow guys. I am amazed at your reviews! I'm so happy I could dance...y'know if I wasn't typing and had a laptop on my lap. Perhaps later...Thanks _so _much! Oh, by the way, this is actually going to be seven chapters, not five, so it'll be a daily-week thing. Cool huh?

As always, please enjoy

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><p>"What did you just say?"<p>

Leo frowned, for that had been exactly what it was he'd been about to say but it wasn't his voice that he had heard.

The two brothers turned to April who'd come after them shortly after they'd excused themselves.

"Is the situation really that bad?" She continued.

"I'm afraid so," Donny said, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "The bottom line is he needs medication be it an anti-venom for the jellyfish toxins or epinephrine for an allergic reaction, neither of which I can get my hands on in the next hour. If we make the phone call that someone was stung and may be allergic, an ambulance will bring what I'll need to treat him." He didn't mention the fact that they had no idea which species of jellyfish Mikey was stung by...

April glanced down at her feet and Don feared that when she looked up again he'd see disappointment flitting across her eyes. She surprised him though, for when she did look up it was determination he saw. "Then I'll make the phone call."

"You will?" Don said, surprised. "I mean...thank you, April."

She nodded. "Of course."

"You were right, Don." Leo said when she was gone. Donny turned to look up at him distractedly. "About not liking your plan."

Don's fingers uncurled like he no longer had the strength to keep them fisted.

Leo could see the guilt in the action and he dropped a heavy hand on his sibling's shoulder. "But I also meant what _I _said," he turned his attention to the rest of the group, still clustered together ankle deep in the water.

Raph had finished shaving Mikey's leg with his sai and had returned to rinsing it with sea water with Casey helping him out. Both of them probably wanted to keep their hands busy, and it was possible it alleviated the pain a little.

_I hope so_, Leo thought.

Splinter was still holding the youngest in his arms, murmuring soothing words to his son. Would their Master be upset with their decision? Try and talk them out of it? At that moment Splinter too looked in their direction and Leo knew. Their father would feel just as reluctant as they were, but he would also know it was the only option they had. They'd swallow their doubts, their guilt, their reluctance, because it was all for Michelangelo.

Leo turned to Donatello once more. "It doesn't matter."

"I gave them the directions to the closest public beach," April said breathlessly as she came running back to them. "They're on their way."

"That doesn't leave us a lot of time," Don said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "April, we need to get Mikey into the Battle Shell."

"We'll take care of it," she assured and then hurried off once more. Don felt a little bad about asking her to run around so much, but knowing her she was probably grateful to be helping.

"So?" Leo asked as he and Donny followed.

April had already reached the rest of them and they saw as Raph and Casey supported Mikey between them as they stood. Splinter stayed close, and April moved on ahead to open the doors.

"We're going to meet it half way, " Donatello said grimly.

They were barreling down the road minutes later.

Leonardo and Raphael would be in charge of abducting the ambulance, and once it was basically in their possession Splinter and Don would be carrying Mikey to the ambulance leaving April as the only one capable of driving the Battel Shell as the _only _vehicle Donatello would ever trust Casey to drive was a motorcycle. Preferably one that he had _not_ built.

"You're sure you up for this, April?" Raph asked, leaning against the headrest of the driver's seat. Not that he didn't have any faith in the girl, she was an excellent driver. She could pilot a helicopter for crying out loud! But this whole situation just seemed...different. He could tell from the anxiety in the air alone that nobody liked what they were about to do.

"Yes," she insisted, "not that we have any other choice. You're needed to drive the..." she trailed off, not wanting to say it. "The ambulance." She finished barely above a whisper.

"Never thought I'd ever drive one of those," he mumbled under his breath. To April he said, "just be sure to keep to get her as close as you can. Leo an' I'll take care of the rest."

"You'll do great," Casey reassured her from the passenger's seat.

"He's right," Raph agreed. "For once."

With a wry smile, April nodded.

In the back Splinter sat with Michelangelo's head cradled in his lap while he smoothed a damp cloth across his forehead. "How's this, my son?"

Mikey hummed his appreciation. Occasionally his breath came in short pants. Whenever that happened Leo's frowning intensified.

From his place standing over his brother, Leo was able to keep one eye on him and the other on everyone else. He clenched his jaw tightly, guilt and worry heavy in his chest. Guilt for what they were about to do, that he wasn't able to simply fight away their problems. Worry for well...he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind.

On the opposite side of where Leo stood, Donatello manned the radio. Having already tuned it in to the right frequency he was scanning the calls for any updates on the ambulance sent their way. He didn't like the rate of Mikey's breathing anymore than Leo did.

"Won't they get suspicious if we don't pull over like everybody else?" Casey wondered out loud.

"Who cares?" Raph countered. "Not like they're gonna pull over cuz we didn't. 'Sides, we'll move fast. They won't have enough time to _get _suspicious."

"Just make sure that they don't get the chance to use _their _radio," Leo murmured, arms crossed over his plastron. "The last thing we need to deal with is a police escort."

"Shhh," Don shushed them all, turning off the radio for more quiet. In the distance, but approaching quickly, they heard the ambulance's siren.

"Raph, that's our cue," Leonardo uncrossed his arms in favor of placing a hand on Mikey's shoulder as his forehead was still currently occupied by Splinter's. "Hang in there, Mikey."

With his free hand, Splinter reached up to grip Leo's arm. "Be careful, Leonardo. I do not want you or your brother taking any... _unnecessary _risks."

"Yes, father." Leonardo nodded respectfully before turning to Raph who was already looking his way with a scowl that probably matched his own.

"Are we ready?" Raph grumbled. At Leo's nod the two of them proceeded to the back of the Battle Shell where Donatello was waiting for them.

Before Don could say a word, Leonardo interrupted. "You just worry about Mikey," he said gently, "and let me worry about the rest for now."

Taking a deep breath, Donny nodded, trusting his big brother. "Be careful you two." And then he opened the door.

Without another word, Leo reached up to grip the top of the vehicle, his fingers facing toward the front of the truck, and then he vaulted himself up onto its roof in one smooth motion.

As Raph moved to follow, he nudged Donatello with his shoulder as he passed. "We got this," he said before he too, disappeared.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **I do not own TMNT, therefore I borrow!

My bad! Can't count, looks like it's six. Though it _may _turn into seven for all I know (the ending is getting a little away from me) so yeah...but either way it'll all be posted relatively soon, so it's not too big of deal right? Again, thank you _all _so much for your reviews and favorites and alerts. Here's to hoping I can tempt a review from those who haven't yet! And of course from those who have. What can I say? I'm a greedy little thing XP

_P.S. _I just wanted to say that while I've done as much research as I can, I am by no means an expert on jellyfish or their stings, nor am I too familiar with ambulances (thankfully) or how to treat things such as allergic reactions as I'm no medic of any sort. I've done my best though and hope nothing I've written bends/stretches reality in anyway.

As always, please enjoy!

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><p>When Raphael landed on the roof of the Battle Shell, he took a moment to insure his balance was stable. The wind created from their speed blew his mask tails forward and they snapped irritatingly against his face.<p>

Turning his head to glance over his shoulder so the wind would carry them _away _from his face, Raph spotted Leo easily making his way toward the front the vehicle, his plastron pressed to the metal to reduce wind friction.

Turning, Raph mimicked his position and followed after, claiming the driver's side so he could direct April through the open window if needed.

"Quit it," he snapped, glancing at his older brother out of the corner of his eye.

"Quit _what_?"

"Thinkin' like you have to shoulder _all _the responsibility," Raph replied. "He's _my_ little brother too, an' we all look out for each other."

Leo sighed. "I _know _that. Why are you bringing this up _now_? Driving down the highway at seventy-five miles an hour on the roof of an armored truck doesn't seem like the _best _of times."

Raph's reply was shrug while he readjusted his grip on the car, then he smirked arrogantly in Leo's direction. That's when it clicked in Leo's mind. Raph was trying to make their abnormal predicament normal, and what was more normal than testing each other's patience?

Leo swallowed a smile. Trust Raph to pick a fight to provide an outlet for their frustration and uneasiness. His almost-smile quickly faded, however, when he realized that things were bad enough that an argument with Raph was having a _positive_ effect.

"Seriously!" Raph barked, kicking the side of Leo's knee with his foot. "Knock it off. You're makin' me feel like we don't got any hope or somethin'."

"We don't need it. Mikey _will _be fine. I'll make sure of it."

Raph rolled his eyes. He didn't bother correcting Leo's _I'll _to _we'll_.

"Incoming," he said when they rounded a bend in the road and the ambulance finally came into view. They could feel April lightly applying the brakes as the ambulance zoomed past them, siren blaring, headed in the opposite direction...

"Hold on!" She called to them.

The two turtles had but a second to brace themselves before she performed a rather impressive hand brake turn. The back tires squealed as they locked and swung out from under the weight of the vehicle effectively turning them around back the way they'd come.

Leo's arm swung out to settle over Raph's shoulders to anchor him. Just in case.

"You two still okay up there?" April called up to them once the Battle Shell was flying down the road once more.

"Better than okay!" Raph called back before grinning like the cat that ate the canary at his brother. "I taught her that."

"I approve."Then Leo jerked his head toward the ambulance they were rapidly gaining on.

"Keep her steady, April!" Raph encouraged, lightly pounding his fist on the top of the Battle Shell. "A little closer!" He called. "Count of three?" He said to Leo.

Leo nodded.

"Three!" They shouted in unison half a second before they leapt from the Battle Shell to the ambulance. Leonardo landed smoothly on its roof in a crouch and kept low to keep himself balanced as he gripped the edges tightly.

Raphael caught the edge of the ambulance's roof and his body dropped down in a swinging motion to slam into the doors. He found purchase on the bumper and took deep shuddering breaths to regain his breathing.

"_Raphael_!" Leo's worried face appeared over the edge and he reached immediately for Raph's wrist, intent on pulling him up behind.

"I'm fine!" Raph barked, irritated that Leo had made it and he _hadn't_. It was stupid really, considering they leapt farther distances when running across rooftops. "Go! They've probably heard us!"

He considered glancing back to reassure April and the others he was okay, as they'd no doubt seen his little stunt, but he didn't couldn't even spare the second the gesture would take.

Leo's hand dragged across Raph's as he turned, like he was reluctant to just leave him hanging there, and he was, but Raphael could handle himself.

Once Leo's face disappeared, Raph made quick work of maneuvering his way toward the driver's door. He was relieved to find that just below the door was a step used to climb into the vehicle and praying that his luck would last, he reached for the door handle.

It was bad enough that he had to steal the thing, breaking a window would just add to the large amount of guilt mounting in his chest.

It swung open with little protest, but as Raph prepared to strike the driver he hesitated, for the surprised face he met belonged to a woman. Growling through clenched teeth, he swung his arm down, the edge of his hand connecting just an inch above the junction where her throat met her shoulder and she immediately slumped forward.

Immediately he reached across her lap, unbuckled her seatbelt and gently eased her across the seat. Swiftly taking her place, he slid her foot off of the gas pedal and replaced it with his own.

Once he and Leonardo were safely sitting in the front cabin of the ambulance with two unconscious paramedics between them and he was safely driving the vehicle, he slammed his palms against the steering wheel.

"Dammit!"

"_What_?" Leo demanded, turning slightly widened eyes toward his sibling, "what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Raph parroted bitterly while he applied the brakes and coaxed the ambulance to the side of the road. "What's wrong? I'll tell ya what's wrong! I just hit a girl! _That's_ what's wrong!"

"It's not like you wanted to," Leo protested.

"Obviously!" Raph snapped. "I don't hit girls."

"There is Karai..."

"Innocent girls." Raph amended.

"Well we don't exactly have a lot of choices here."

"That don't mean I'm not gonna question them!"

Leo sighed and scrubbed a weary hand across his face. "Yeah. Me too."

By the time Leo and Raph were climbing out of the ambulance, the Battle Shell was just pulling up behind them.

Raph gently scooped the unconscious woman into his arms muttering an apology she couldn't hear and carried her to the Battle Shell.

Behind him Leo came with the second paramedic, a man he had thrown over his shoulder as it was the only way he could support the man's weight.

"Are they all right?" April asked, poking her head out of the window.

"They're fine," Raph replied. "Will most likely have headaches when they wake up though. How's Mikey?"

"Really wish..." Mikey's voice trailed off as he took a labored breath. "You all'd stop asking that."

Supported between Splinter and Donatello, the three of them climbed out of the back of the Battle Shell.

"Sorry, Mike." Leo said, passing the paramedic to Casey who'd come around the front. He then moved to take Splinter's place, pulling Mikey's arm around his shoulders and wrapping his own across his back to grip the opposite side of his shell. "No deal. C'mon. Let's get you patched up." When they took a step forward Leo nearly stumbled under the full weight of his younger brother. The only thing that kept him walking seamlessly was his quick reflexes and Don supporting him on the other side.

Shooting a look over Mikey's bowed head, Donny returned it with a grim smile. Between the two of them they carried him to the back of the ambulance.

"Master Splinter," Leo said quietly when he turned to his father. "Do you—"

"I shall sit up front with Raphael," Splinter replied, giving Leo's arm a consoling pat as he passed in order to go to the passenger seat. "You should stay back here with Donatello should he need any assistance."

A faint, but grateful smile stole across Leo's face. "Thank you , Sensei."

"Let's get this thing back on the road," Raph barked as he passed, his shoulders thrown back and tense. He paused long enough to close the ambulance doors behind his brothers and then he and Splinter climbed up front.

As they pulled back out onto the road, the lights off and the siren silenced, the Battle Shell followed after.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **I do not own TMNT, therefore I borrow!

To my fantastic reviewers! You guys are da bomb I tell ya. Da booooooomb!

All right, my sort of "medic disclaimer" again because I'm no medic, I'm not a vet, and I'm making this as real as I possibly can. Also, I'm nearly one hundred percent sure that the next chapter will be the last.

As always, please enjoy!

* * *

><p>"Keep heading toward the beach," Donatello said to Raph as he and Leonardo eased Mikey back onto the stretcher located in the middle of the back cabin. "After that, if we're not done by then, head toward the hospital like nothing is wrong. That should hopefully prevent anyone from figuring out we've stolen the ambulance through GPS."<p>

"This thing has a GPS?" Raph demanded. "Shouldn't you have, I dunno, _deactivated _it or somethin'?"

"No time," Don replied. "It was either waste time figuring out how to do that or help Mikey. I think you agree with my choice, yes?"

Raph's silence was answer enough for Don. "Call April and see if she can figure out some way to jam the signal, or isolate it. Scramble it. I don't know, something. It could buy us some time."

Raph reached for his shell cell.

Mikey squinted up at the lights aimed his direction. They were irritating and he wanted nothing more than to throw an arm across his eyes, but he lacked the strength to do so. In fact, all of his limbs felt kind of heavy, so he opted for closing his eyes instead.

The pain in his leg was as intense as ever, the marks from the jellyfish now angry, red, raised welts. He preferred not to look at it though and instead focused on his breathing as that had become a challenge recently, and tempting as the idea of panicking was, that was the last thing his brothers needed.

They were worried enough as it was and if he could help them by pretending he was better off than he actually was, then he'd do it without a second thought. Or even a third one. And he was doing pretty good if he did say so himself.

"You doing okay, Mike?"

Oh yeah...Leo was watching. It'd be a little harder to pretend with big brother around. Worrying was sorta kinda his _thing_.

"You could...say okay." Mikey replied, pausing for a short breath. No, no he wasn't okay. He hurt, _a lot_, and breathing was difficult and the lights were starting to give him a headache. But saying so out loud would only stress his siblings out _more _and they were already doing everything they could. "Be right...as rain soon...right Don?"

"That's right, Mikey," Don replied as he scavenged the ambulance, searching drawers and cabinets to collect what he needed. He passed an iv bag to Leo. "Hold this up for me?"

"Of course," Leo responded immediately.

Nodding his thanks, Don made quick work of preparing and inserting the iv needle into Mikey's arm. "Okay?"

"Fine," Mikey answered, though the minute he'd seen the bag passed to Leo he'd turned his head away. He hated needles. _Hated _them, but fluids were always good. He knew that because every time he caught a cold or got sick Don was always pumping them into him in one way or another. 'Pound the fluids, Mike' he'd say, 'they'll make you feel better'. He had yet to be wrong about that.

Mikey flinched when another sharp pain shot up his calf. A hand, probably Leo's, fell on his arm and patted his elbow.

At his head Don fiddled with things. Mikey heard a lot of rustling papers and plastic. Probably unwrapping needles from their protective sleeves to keep them clean and whatnot. Had he mentioned that he hated needles? Or maybe he was still rummaging... it wasn't like they were in the back of an ambulance often enough to know where everything was kept.

Over the rustling, he could sort of hear Raph and Splinter in the front, Raph grumbling and Splinter well...quiet. Though Mikey could've sworn he heard his father murmuring soothing words to him. It almost sounded like he was speaking them from a seat right next to him.

A call from the radio cut through the vehicle. _"Status check."_

"Are we ignoring that?" Raph called back to them over his shoulder, dutifully keeping his eyes on the road. "Don't know if that's the best way to avoid suspicions..."

"_Don't _ignore them!" Don replied urgently as he fitted the cuff of a sphygmomanometer around Mikey's bicep to check his blood pressure. "You're right. It will only make dispatch worry. We won't be much longer."

"What d'you want me t'say?" Raph hissed. "I ain't no paramedic."

"Just respond normally," Don hissed back.

"Calmly," Splinter added. "If you sound calm, then they should have no reason to be concerned."

"Calm ain't exactly my thing neither, Master Splinter." Raph brought the radio to his mouth. "We're okay."

The silence that followed was unsettling, and just when they were starting to fear they'd been suspected... finally there was a reply. _"Clear."_

Raph let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and offered his father a tight smile.

While the cuff tightened uncomfortably around his arm, Mikey turned his attention inward and pulled upon every meditation lesson he could remember to block the burning intense pain from his mind and try to calm his breathing. The last thing he needed was to pass out from shortness of breath, though at the rate everything was going and how his luck had gone so far, it was probably only a matter of time.

"And?" He heard Leo murmur, trying to be quiet about it. Mikey wasn't sure if he was doing that for his sake because he felt like crap, or if he was just trying to keep him from hearing him.

_Yeah, good luck if that's it Leo, _Mikey taunted mentally, _you're sitting right next to me in an ambulance the size of a closet. I'm _gonna _hear you_.

"It's low," Don replied just as gently, removing the cuff. "Another sign that he may be having an allergic reaction, but it's still possible his symptoms are just from the toxicity levels of whichever species he was stung by. I just don't want to make matters worse because I misdiagnose him!" He finished on a harsh whisper.

Mikey cracked his eyes open and peered up into Donatello's face. His stomach lurched, and not because of any side-effect from the stupid jellyfish.

_It's my fault that look is on his face..._

"Don?" He dragged in a breath.

"I'm here." He replied immediately, dropping a hand on his shoulder.

Mikey reached up and covered that hand with his own. "It'll be fine—" he paused to take another breath, "—we've survived worse."

Don choked on a bark of bitter laughter and shook his head at his younger sibling. Here he was, hurt and breathing shallow and he was _still _trying to cheer him up.

"Donny," Leo said in that authoritative way of his that left no room for argument. "We trust your judgment, always will. Go with your instincts.

"But—"

Leo cut him off with a glare and a shake of his head. "In the lives we lead, split-second decisions can mean the difference between life and death. Your instincts have never failed us, and they won't now."

"Listen—" Mikey panted, "—to the Leader—" pause for breath, "—he's got a point."

Donatello didn't say anything for awhile and instead rested his forehead on a clenched hand as he mentally worked through all his options. Using the drug was risky, but the alternative wasn't any better, worse probably.

"Mikey, if anything feels different, or funny, you tell me _immediately_," Don instructed as he prepared the dose of epinephrine.

Mike nodded.

"I'm serious," Donny continued. "_Anything _that you find off." Everyone seemed to hold their breath as the needle broke skin. The seconds that passed were incredibly tense, and then Mikey breathed in deep, long, slow, smooth and it sounded like everyone let out a collective sigh.

After a few more moments Don checked Mikey's blood pressure again, and his temperature. All normal, or returning to.

"Donatello?" Splinter ventured from the front.

"We're good, Sensei," he replied. "He's good."

And indeed he was. It was like a weight he hadn't been aware of had been lifted from his chest and Mikey could breathe again, and think more clearly. The pain was still there, _boy _was it still there, but the danger was gone and Don could now drug him with something else to make the pain go away be it something complicated like morphine or something easy like Advil. He wouldn't care. He was just glad that the worry darkening the expressions of his brothers was gone.

With them relieved and happy he was okay, and feeling relieved himself Mikey finally let himself feel and show all the pain and worry he himself had been feeling , and then did something he hadn't anticipated doing. He passed out.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I do not own TMNT, therefore I borrow!

To my fantastic reviewers. Thank you guys SOOOO much for your support and I hope to see it even for the final chapter. Sorry that it's so late today, but I hadn't finished it yet XP so I've been working on it all day. And let me tell _you_! This chapter seriously got away from me. So enjoy the extra length and please tell me what you think afterward!

As always, please enjoy.

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><p>"<em>Raph<em>," Leo hissed impatiently. "What are you doing? We don't have time for this!" The two of them had just returned the paramedics to the ambulance, but before Leo could turn to go to where the Battle Shell waited a few yards away, Raph had climbed up onto the hood of the vehicle and was doing..._something_.

"Clearin' my conscience," Raph replied, tracing his mud-covered finger across the windshield.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Leo trudged his way over to see what Raph was doing. And he nearly laughed out loud. Scrawled across the windshield, in mud of course, were the words:

_Sorry—It was an emergency_

Backwards mind you, so they could be read from the inside.

"You stopped us for _this_?" Leo huffed indignantly, to disguise the fact that he was a bit amused.

"Mikey would've done it," Raph said simply, sliding off the hood and wiping the remaining mud off on his elbow pad. That shut Leo up real quick.

"Speaking of. We need to get him home." Leo said seriously.

Raph grunted his agreement and followed after his brother as they returned to the Battle Shell. In the back they found Michelangelo once more resting with his head in Master Splinter's lap, Donatello across from them, April in the driver's seat, and Casey riding shot gun.

What had the blood draining from their faces, however, was the dark, grim expression their father wore, Donatello's slow deep breathing like he was trying to calm himself, the white knuckled grip April held on the steering wheel, and Casey's unusual silence.

Leo's gaze snapped to Mikey, who seemed fine other than the injured limb and the fact that he'd passed out ten minutes ago and as far as Leo knew, had yet to wake up. "Did we miss something?"

Donny pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes, almost as if he was trying to rub away an image seared onto the lids. "Mikey stopped breathing."

"What d'you mean _stopped breathing_!" Raph snarled, his eyes flying to his little brother. He calmed slightly at the sight of Mikey's chest rising and falling, but not much. "He's breathin' now, so everything's okay right? Right?" He added again when he felt like he wasn't getting an answer quick enough.

"_Yes_," Don replied firmly. "He's okay. We handled it," he said, looking to Splinter.

The grim line Splinter's mouth had settled into softened in a reassuring way for Donatello.

"Why didn't you call us?" Leo demanded. He was scared, scared that something like that had happened without him knowing and he'd been only fifty feet away. So he did what he always did when he was scared. He got angry and slipped into his leader-lecture-mode. "You should have—"

"Leonardo." Splinter interrupted sharply. How he managed to sound gentle at the same time was anyone's guess.

"What happened?" Leo asked softly after he took a moment to calm himself. He shot Donatello an apologetic look, which Don accepted with a faint nod. "Was it for very long? Do you know _why_?" Leo continued.

Don sighed, wringing his hands in an attempt to stop them from shaking. "Sometimes people stop breathing when they pass out," he shrugged a shoulder. "There's no specific reason _why_, and no. It wasn't for very long. Ten...twenty seconds. Felt a hell of a lot longer though."

Raph blinked at that. Don wasn't one who gave in to the urge to swear very often, even when situations were just _begging _for one. Obviously he was shaken up. They all were.

"Guys?" April ventured softly from the front.

Leo was the one to respond. "We're good April. Take us home."

With a nod she started the vehicle.

Leo claimed a spot next to Donny, putting him in the perfect position to watch over Mike and offer comfort to his brother. "I'm sorry," he began. "that I...we—" he amended after receiving a nasty look from Raphael, "—weren't here when it happened."

"I am not," Splinter spoke. It was something he wished _he _hadn't seen. Better yet, he wished it hadn't happened at all. It was an image that would haunt him for a great length of time, the fact that at least two of his sons had not witnessed it was a small comfort.

"There any more surprises we should be worryin' about?" Raph asked from his spot behind the driver's seat. "Cuz I don't know how many more o'those I can handle today."

"Agreed." Don smiled bitterly. "But no, I'm fairly certain the worst is over. Mikey woke up for a moment, after he started breathing again. It's probably best he stays unconscious for awhile longer...at least until we can get him home and give him something to help with the pain."

"Agreed," Leo repeated, leaning over until his and Don's shoulders bumped. They watched Mikey breathe the whole way home.

It wasn't the pain in his leg that finally woke him up, but his intense thirst, though once he was conscience it didn't take long for the pain to become a factor again. Pushing himself up groggily onto his elbows Michelangelo looked around.

He was home.

The room was dim, but the rest of the lair looked bright. In the background he could hear the TV with the volume turned down low.

Michelangelo frowned. The last thing he remembered, Don had just given him a shot and he could breathe again. And then...

Mikey sighed and scrubbed his hand across his eyes. "I passed out."

"Yeah. Thanks for that."

Mikey's head jerked up in time to see Don walk in, a glass of water in one hand and what Mikey _hoped _was some sort of pain killer in the other. "Ooooh," he crooned, holding out an eager hand as he was still propping himself up on the other. "I really _should _be freaking out about my bro being some kind of mind reader, but I can't bring myself to care much right now."

"I'm no mind reader, Mikey," Don protested as he took a seat on the edge of hid bed. He passed the glass to him and helped him sit up straighter so he could press the pills into his other. "I just know you."

Mikey hummed his agreement as he drank greedily. He left just enough to swallow the Ibuprofen and then handed the empty glass back to his brother. "Ahh," he said, making a show of wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, "that hit the spot."

Shaking his head at Mikey's antics, Donny placed the glass on a nearby table. "How're you feeling?"

Mike took a moment to consider, his eyes rolling toward the ceiling as he thought. "Better," he paused. "Yep, I feel better. What time is it?"

"Eight in the morning."

"Wow. I must've been tired. How long till the medicine kicks in?"

"Maybe about twenty minutes," Don replied simply, but his expression was anything but. Don was watching him, which wasn't unusual because Donny watched them all very closely after injury, but this? This was _different_.

Mikey frowned suspiciously at him. He reached over and shoved playfully at his shoulder. "All right, Doc. Spill. What aren't you telling me? Was I stung by some alien-mutant-jellyfish and I only have a month left to live?"

Donny rolled his eyes. "You read too many comic books."

"Au contraire!" Mike protested with a thick, overdone French accent. "But seriously dude," he said, slipping flawlessly from goofball to down-to-business. "I mean, I know kidnapping an ambulance wasn't fun...like at all. But it's not like we _kept _it or damaged it or anything. So what's wrong?"

Donny hesitated. As always, Mikey's power of perception was astounding. "After you passed out, you..." he trailed off, cringing mentally at the memory. Mikey watched him with gentle eyes, urging him to continue. "You stopped breathing."

Mikey blinked. Twice. A third time. "Oh."

Don nodded somberly. "Oh."

"Must've been scary..." he murmured.

"Far from a pleasant experience, yes." Don said with another nod.

With his mouth set in a hard line, Mikey reached over and planted both hands on Donny's shoulders. Then he proceeded to take several deep breaths. "Well as you can see, I'm breathing now. You said that sometimes happens when someone passes out right? I feel fine, even the medicine's starting to help with the leg, so there's no need to treat me or watch me like I'm made of glass 'kay? I'm sorry too. About causing everybody so much trouble. But as a wise meerkat once said...'_Hakuna Matata'_"

Don smiled, a real one and Mikey returned it wholeheartedly. "Soooo, you good?"

"Yeah, Mikey, I think so. Thanks."

"Hey, Don," Leo said from the doorway. A small smile played across his features at the sight of Mikey sitting up, bright-eyed, and grinning. "There's something you should see on the news."

"The news?" Don frowned in confusion. Pushing off of the bed and rubbing the top of Mikey's head as he passed, Donny hurried into the living room.

"You doing okay?" Leo asked of Mikey, uncrossing his arms from across his plastron as he walked over.

"Sir yes sir!" Mikey chirped cheerfully, even throwing in a little salute as he tossed his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Leo warned, sliding over to block him from standing. "Where do you think you're going?"

"What? I wanna see what's on the news too!" Mikey pouted, looking up at his brother imploringly.

Leo regarded him with a cool expression and Mikey could practically see him imagining how things could go wrong if he let his little brother walk around.

"It's a sting, Leo," Mikey protested. "A nasty one, sure, but a sting. It's not like it's a broken bone. I can walk no problem."

Leo hummed thoughtfully.

"Cooooome oooo,n Leoooooo," Mikey begged. "I haven't moved since...yesterday. I could use a stretch."

"Fine," Leo finally conceded. "You've got fifteen minutes and then it's back to resting."

"Yes _mom_."

He shrieked playfully, ducking when Leo tossed a lazy punch his way and then hopped out of the room with Leo trailing behind.

Raph was sitting on the couch, one ankle crossed over his knee with his arms tossed carelessly over the back. Don leaned back against the armrest, his arms crossed loosely across his chest and Master Splinter sat in his usual place in his chair. All of them had their eyes trained on the TV screens.

_"...word from Shaelyn Richards. Miss Richards, please tell us what happened."_

_ "I don't remember too much about what happened," _the woman admitted. _"All I know is that both Travis and I were knocked out fairly quickly and when we came to, we were sitting up front with the ambulance pulled over safely on the side of the road. I think we would have both started doubting things if it weren't for the headaches and the message left behind._

_ "Written across the windshield in mud were the words '_Sorry—It was an emergency'_"_

"Wait...what?" Mikey gawked.

"Michelangelo," Splinter greeted warmly. "It does me good to see you up and about."

Mikey returned the warm words with a smile. "Does me good too, Master. Who left the message?"

"That'd be Raph," Leo supplied, ignoring the scornful look Raphael shot his way.

"_You_?" Mikey gasped disbelievingly. "Since when do _you_ apologize?"

"Since I started hittin' girls apparently," Raph muttered. "What're you doin' up?"

"Stretching my legs!"

_"...been terrifying, except we can't help but get the feeling that whoever did this is sorry. We are relatively unharmed and they only took what we assume they needed. Only a few needles, an iv bag, and a dosage of epinephrine are missing. Everything else is accounted for."_

_ "Thank you for your time Miss Richards. Coming up next: What the authorities are planning to do to insure something like this doesn't happen again..."_

Raph reached for the remote and hit mute.

"We're famous!" Mikey announced with a grin, leaning on the back of the couch.

"That's nothing to be excited about," Leo told him. "Is there any reason to be concerned, Don?"

"I don't think so," Don said, reading the subtitles that flashed across the screen because of the muted volume. He turned to his family. "I'll keep my eyes out for any new information however." He shot his brother a look. "What are you doing up?"

"Is it a crime to be standing on my own two feet?" Mikey demanded. "Leo said I could."

"For fifteen minutes," Leo added when Don's look shifted to him.

"Well by the time we get you upstairs, those fifteen minutes will be up," Don said, unfurling his arms and pushing away from the couch. "Come on. Let's go."

"But Doooooonny," Mikey whined. "I'm fine."

"Don't bother," Raph told him, smirking over his shoulder. "You'll never out stubborn Don."

"He's right, Mikey." Don said with a smug look. "March. Please, for my peace of mind?"

Mikey sighed, knowing he was beaten. "All right. For a little while anyway." He let Don lead him away. "Heeeey, think I'll get a cool scar out of this?"

"Yeah," Raph snorted, calling after, "like any of us _want _a permanent reminder!"

That's when a pillow from the couch hit Raph in the face. Mikey's guffaws echoing after.


End file.
